Only a matter of time
by PhantomBPR
Summary: Link projects his feelings for Malon on Romani. Intrigued by the power he now holds by knowing the 3 day ritual, Link toys with Termina's timeline to manipulate the world in his favor. Story will become increasingly mature in later chapters.
1. Displacement

With one final stroke, he swung his blade across the evil king's hideously transfigured face. His body was tired; he was dirty, sweaty, and bleeding. His eyes burned from the tears of both physical and mental pain. This is what it had all been amounting to: the liberation of Hyrule.

Everything he ever knew or ever believed in was suddenly embedded within his very sword. Every bit of anger, from the smallest argument with Mido, to the bloody battle in the lost woods with the Moblin general who had taken over his home, it all amounted to this fatal sword swing.

As he sliced his blade through Ganon's face, it cut into his head, and blood sprayed forth, covering Link's body. Memories came flooding back to him of the first time he saw that amount of blood.

It was in the Lost Woods with Mido. He couldn't have been much older than eight. They had come across a wolf. Link had heard about the wolves from the Deku Tree, and in his mind Link had made them out to be loving and caring creatures. But in reality, this brutal hound was a monster bent on killing the two boys. They had no choice. It was life or death.

That memory would be forever burned into Link's memory. He would not see blood of that caliber again until he faced Gohma at the age of ten. When that they came, he was only a few years older, but his time within the tree had a strange effect on him, and when he cut through Gohma's huge eye, the sight of blood was disturbingly relieving.

Link returned to the present. He was no longer a child, he was a man, and he was seventeen years old. Is that right? Seventeen years? And yet it was only a second. He had only spent a few months within this seventeen-year-old body, and parts of those months were spent traveling back in time to his childhood. Who was to say how old Link really was?

But the time stream, much like the Deku Tree, also had an effect over Link. It was as though he did live those seven years. Though he had no memory and no real life within that time period, it was, as though, as his body matured, so did his mind. He was within the mental frame of a seventeen year old. Some how, all of the facts and questions, happiness and pain, the truth and the lies, and the fact and the fiction had all amounted in his brain.

In this way, Link had both transitioned through puberty and had attained sexual knowledge within the time stream. And all of this knowledge that Link held within himself did not disperse when he returned to his child form from time to time. On the contrary, it was highlighted when he had the ability to look upon his childhood world with his lack of innocence.

With one final lurch, Ganon made a meaningless attempt to stab Link. The battle was already over. Any concept of inflicting damage upon Link had passed. Link complemented Ganon's failure by forcing his blade through Ganon's skull and into his wicked Moblin brain. Time seemed to stop.

It was a moot move. Because of the Triforce of Power, Ganon himself was immortal, but it was what this move symbolized. Ganon had been brought down to the point that he could be contained within the sacred realm, the evil emperor had fallen, and his dark empire with it. The war was over, and the great Hylian rebellion had triumphed. It meant so much more than the death of a monster.

Following his final epic move, everything began to change. There was a bright flash as the sacred realm was opened, and the familiar voice of Ganondorf screaming curses at him. It was all quite a blur. It was then that he found himself floating among the clouds with Zelda. Her words were quiet and fleeting, it was hard to make any meaning out of them.

What could he possibly say about his relationship with Zelda? He had to find her. It was his mission. Nothing more than that. She was the seventh sage. Without her, the war was futile. But could he possibly say he had feelings for her? Could he possibly say he had a romantic devotion to her? She was the mission. She was like a city or group of people, something he had to save from the evil.

Zelda felt a similar connection between them. Link was her savior. In the darkest hour he had risen to the occasion. Even as young children, she felt a sickly sweet childhood romance developing between the two, for those fleeting days they spent together before the war. He was tall and muscular. She could easily say she felt physically attracted to him. And he to her.

But that was not how it was. As they floated together in the brilliant Hyrule sky, they understood what their time together meant. It was business as usual. With a short exchange of words, Link placed the ocarina in Zelda's hand. Slowly, she placed her hand upon his. Her touch was warm and her eyes were sad.

"When peace returns to Hyrule, it will be time for us to say goodbye."

What could that possibly mean? He was to return to the past. Zelda existed in the past. They were not to be divided. Why would she say such a thing? She softly played the ancient Hylian hymn on the ocarina. A familiar blue light engulfed his body. Teleportation was nothing new to Link. But this light was quite different than any other he had experienced before. He slowly lost consciousness as Zelda whispered one last farewell.

What Zelda did that day was quite different that anyone ever imagined. As the seventh sage, she took the power of the sages and the sacred realm into her own hands and fused the timeline. The future would cease to exist. This dark age of Hyrule would enjoy one last night, as the many races came together in a new found unity. Together at Lon Lon ranch, they held a bonfire, burning the many statues and weapons of the evil Moblin army. Even the Kokiri took to leaving the woods for a brief period of time. As the sages flew across the night sky, they gathered together upon Death Mountain to over look the victory they had won.

Link opened his eyes. He was back in the Temple of Time. He was a child again. It was as normal as any other time he would travel between the time periods. Only this would be his last time.

"Navi?" he called out, surprising himself to hear his child voice again. There was no answer. Somehow, she was gone. It didn't quite register at first. He had other things on his mind. He quickly ran from the Temple and made his way through the busy market place. Easily making his way through the well-known path to Zelda's sanctuary courtyard within the castle. He had to know for sure if they had won. Slowly he approached Zelda and called out to her.

"Zelda! We made it back! Did we do it? Is Ganondorf still imprisoned?" The royally garbed girl instantly spun around in shock. She stared at him for a brief period of time before managing to mutter:

"Who are you?"

That was it. That's when it all clicked. She didn't remember him. Zelda had done something to the timeline that erased her memory. Link had full recollection of the events, but it appeared that Zelda had none. There would be a short period in which Link would exit the castle in a blank state, walk out alone in a private grove in Hyrule Field, and have a mental breakdown as he accepted the fact that both Navi and Zelda were gone from his life. Overtime, things slowly began to fall into place for Link. He returned to his home tree house in Kokiri forest and began to ponder his existence.

Link was indeed the Hero of Time. There was proof all around Hyrule that the merging of the time periods was effective. The first clue was that the six sages were non-existent. It was as if they had simply disappeared. Yes, they had a history; they had those who would ask questions following their disappearance, the Gerudos made an extensive search of the desert, King Zora had Lord Jabu-Jabu's colon flushed, but eventually, the harsh realization that these individuals would not return set in. And life went on.

The second clue that the merge was a success was that there was a stronger unification of Hyrule. One of the main elements of Ganondorf's master plan was to turn the races of Hyrule against each other. In this new time period, The King of Hyrule called for a re-unification of all races. The Hyruleian League of Unity was formed among the races.

Hyrule had entered an age of great peace and prosperity. But Link found himself in quite the opposite state of being. Link carried with him all the mental scars from his adult form, as well as all the knowledge he had somehow incurred. His existence was that of the mind of a seventeen year old within a ten year old's body. As time passed, he began to feel very alone in this new world.

In this way, two years past. Link was now twelve years old and was entering puberty, or at least his body was. While the hormones raged within him (the goddesses not so subtle hint to populate the world), Link's brain remained stable. As the two years had passed, Link had brought it upon himself to re-introduce himself to Zelda.

It wasn't the same of course; she was a friend in a new sort of way. Not the old Zelda he knew, but a girl that he would, from time to time, sneak in and visit. They developed a small friendship in this way. But still, the Zelda he knew was gone. Zelda was gone, Saria was gone, even Ruto was gone. There was really only one that remained.

She was growing up too. Her long brown hair reached far down her back. Her chest was starting to develop into that of a woman. Even her personality had matured. Just two years ago, ten year old Malon was care free and sought adventure, that element is what cultivated the powerful friendship between she and Link. But now, only two year later, she was taking on more responsibility. While tending to the horses was once just a childhood hobby, she had made it part of her life.

While Talon continued to lead a rather lazy life, Malon joined Ingo with tending to the ranch. This helped ease Ingo's weary state of mind, and gave Malon a new sense of confidence. Talon smiled on with great pride as he slept his lazy days away.

Could he say that he loved her? What was love to Link? He had no mother. Saria played the roles of older sister, best friend, and childhood crush, but beyond that, he knew no such thing as love. He knew only that this was the strongest feeling he had ever felt in his entire life. He had to take the chance.

It was early in a summer's night when Link and Malon met together in the fields of the ranch. Link had maintained his strong friendship with Malon. He had taken ownership of Epona after Malon realized that Link had a stronger bond with the horse than she did. An animal that she had once clinged to as the last element of her mother, she had given up to Link. Malon was no longer a child.

"It's a beautiful night," Link said as they stared up into the night sky, lying together in the grass.

"No doubt about it fairyboy" Malon replied. Link laughed.

"I can't believe you still call me fairy boy!" Malon smiled and replied, "You'll always be fairy boy to me." They both giggled together and stared at each other. Link knew in his heart that this was it.

"Malon" he began, having trouble forming the words. "Yes?" she asked. Link had to take his chance. "You know, I really value our friendship." She gave Link a smile "Well of course I do fairyboy. You know, before you came along, I didn't have very many close friends, living on the ranch made it hard."

Link was feeling confident. "I feel the same way. I had a close friend back when I lived in the forest and I had a few other friends there too, but I never felt as close to any of them as I do to you." Malon simply smiled. It was affectionate but hallow. Link longed for more than this.

In a pathetic move, Link stretched out his arms. Malon returned his action with a warm hug. She smelled so beautiful. He could smell the outdoors on her, the sweat and the odor of the animals. But there was an over powering sweet fragrance that completed the puzzle to her feminine existence. Link stroked her hair ever so slightly, hoping she wouldn't notice.

Without realizing what he was doing, he pulled Malon closer to him. At first she tried to push back ever so slightly, but found herself caught in Link's grasp. As she made contact with Link's body, Link found himself thoughtlessly exploring Malon's body. As his hand found its way to her chest, she immediately reacted

"Link, stop!" she shouted, as she pushed Link away from her. Slightly shocked at both his own actions and Malon's, Link fell onto the ground. Malon silently glared at him.

"Malon, I'm sorry." Link began, not quite understanding it himself; he just started saying what came to him. "Please, don't take this the wrong way. I don't want to lose you." A look of outrage swept over Malon's face. She stood up at once.

"I don't know what you think you can manipulate out of me, but I just want you to know that I'm not a little girl anymore. If our friendship meant nothing more to you than this, I want nothing to do with you Link." Link was horrified. A look of sheer terror appeared on his face. He had bombed Dodongos with a fierce and determined stance, but hearing these dreaded words Malon produced were enough to destroy that fierceness.

"But Malon, I…" Link began, but Malon turned away from him and started walking back to the house. "All you ever were to me was a friend Link. I'm not ready for something like this. I don't even understand half of what I feel right now." Link understood completely…. or at least he thought he did.

"Malon, I do understand. I've felt the same confusion you do. We can break it together." Malon stood silent for a long time. The cool twilight breeze blew across the ranch; a gust that was usually favored and relaxing was now that of a thousand moblin spears piercing Link's body. At long last, Malon finally spoke.

"All I ever wanted you to be was my friend. My best friend. My fairyboy. But I knew this day would come. I was so worried this would happen." She turned around with tears in her eyes. "I don't love you Link. I'm not ready, and even if I was, I still don't know if I would love you." All Link could do was just stare back with genuine fear.

"After what you've done tonight…I don't think I want to see you for a while." Her voice was breaking. "Just take Epona and leave." "Malon wait!" Link shouted. But it was to no avail, she ran off towards the ranch house sobbing.

This was the breakdown. This was the key event that set into motion the events that would transpire. Link was a broken man. No longer did he have any Hylian affiliation what so ever. This world meant nothing to him anymore. After that night, Link knew what he wanted to do with the rest of his childhood. Navi was the only being he could ever be completely open with. She was the only one who could help him now. He had to find her.

"You are already leaving this land of Hyrule, aren't you?" Zelda asked him. "Yes." Link replied, dry and factual. Link could feel raw emotion within Zelda's words but he was unsure of her truth thoughts. Link knew that he couldn't leave Hyrule without attempting to speak with Zelda one more time. When she produced the Ocarina before his eyes he was shocked at first. Even more so when she began playing the song of time. It was in that moment that Link thought perhaps she did remember….

"The Goddess of Time is protecting you. If you play the Song of time, she will aid you."

As Link road off into the woods, many thoughts clouded his mind. He thought about many things. He thought about Malon. "If only I would have known how she was going to react. If only I could go back, knowing what I do now" Quite a place Link found himself. It was very frustrating to go from controlling time to the point of jumping ahead seven years, to be reduced to a normal dweller of the time stream.

Little did he know as he rode into the woods with the Ocarina in hand, he would soon find that he could manipulate the power of time itself far beyond what he could have ever wished for that night at Lon Lon Ranch. It was only a matter of time.


	2. Time Stream Frustration

_A/N: Ok, obviously I'm a little new with the whole author note system, but I think we'll get by just fine this way._

_**Hey guys just wanted to say thanks for the reviews I got for the first chapter. I'm just writing this in my spare time and I didn't even expect much positive feedback, so it's much appreciated. I know you're probably wondering when the Link/Romani pairing is going to start. Stick with me guys, it's slow going but these first two chapters are just setting things up, giving us insight into Link's emotions and will help explain his motives in later chapters. Things are about to get a lot more interesting in chapter 3. Until I crank that one out, hope you guys like chapter two, and above all else, I hope it gives you a new perception of the world and times of Termina. **_

_**If you enjoy this story I'd love to hear from you. Please Review. Thanks again! ~Phantom**_

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The Dawn of the first day. He had grown very accustomed to it. The familiar sound of the cock crowing was the first indication that a new three-day span had begun. He was always groggy at first when awakening in this new timeline. At first he felt quite bloated, as if his entire body was swollen. It was then that he realized he was still in his Goron form when he had last played the song of time.

And there in front of his eyes were the Clock Town carpenters, busily pouring all their work into a festival tower that would never be completed. Such was the irony of this sad society. Its denizens working tirelessly day after day after day…. and then repeating their process. Working for a future that would never be. The thought was almost dizzying after a while. Dizzying and highly disturbing.

He had just defeated Goht and brought salvation to the Goron Tribe of Snowhead. Or at least he had in the last string of days.

"Well." Tatl began. "Looks like we're making progress. That's two so far." Link didn't even bother responding. "So, the third place Tael mentioned was the Ocean, so I guess we should be heading west."

Link was tired. He didn't even bother responding to the fairy. He was so sick of reliving this process over and over again. And with his memories of Hyrule's old future, he was in no hurry to venture into a water-based structure.

"How many times now, Tatl?" Link asked. "What?" Tatl asked in her sarcastically condescending, no-nonsense tone. "How many damn times has it been?" A bit annoyed at first, Tatl knew Link well and decided to dignify his lowly earthbound self with an answer.

"I'm not sure. The three days seem to run together, but I think it's been about four or five weeks worth of three days so far." Link nodded. "About a month's time. An entire month and still not a goddess damned thing has changed." Tatl said nothing at first, Link seemed to tense up.

"As if I care anymore, I can go back at any time."

While still within his Goron body, Link ran up to the festival tower in progress and began shaking the structure causing the apprentice carpenter on top to fall to the ground. This caused a huge scene.

"You're wasting your fucking time! You're already dead assholes!" Link shouted out of rage. "Link, what the hell are you doing?" Tatl screamed. The carpenters began to scream too, screams of concern for their partner and disdain for Link. The gate guard had surveyed the entire event, but like most of the Clock Town Defense Department, was slow to engage.

Before the guard could even identify Goron Link, he assumed the Goron roll position and sped away towards the Laundry Pool where he removed the mask and reverted back to his Hylian form. "Link, have you lost your mind? What were doing! You could have hurt innocent lives?" Tatl screamed.

Link merely shrugged and pulled his Ocarina from his pocket. The song embedded in his mind, his fingers quickly danced from one opening to the other as he played the song of time. He nodded his head, as if to say to the goddesses that he was sure he wanted to activate the magic. The world melted to white and Link fell through that familiar abyss.

The cock crowed again. There the apprentice stood once more, not a scratch in sight, still staring at the moon. "Absolutely no harm done." Link said, almost laughing. Tatl was losing her patients. "Just what are you trying to prove here?" she demanded.

"That none of my actions matter." Link explained. Kafei came running from the Laundry Pool to once again mail his first day letter. "Hell, I could run right up to Kafei, pull his pants off, castrate him, throw his balls at the guard, then play the song of time, and it wouldn't even matter. His testicles would be back in their rightful place and no one would ever know."

"Oh trust me Link, you can be DAMNED sure I would know!" Tatl responded. "Exactly. The only thing that changes in this world is our experiences." Tatl was sick of this. "That's not exactly a revelation Link. As I said, it's been about five weeks now."

Link fanned the annoying fairy away from his face. "Fuck this, I need a break." With that he walked off toward the Stock Pot Inn and dawned his Goron mask. Link played a slightly faster version of the song of time to speed time just to eight thirty so that the hotel would be opening.

"Well, we have you down for an afternoon arrival Mr. Link, but I suppose…" Anju began. "Oh, me sorry goro. Us Gorons are stupid goro. Even though we bitch and complain and are obviously well aware of the elements, we stand outside in fucking cold and freeze to death goro. " Link explained, venting the anger that had amounted during his time in the Mountains.

Anju slightly shocked but also seasoned with these types of customers responded. "Oh…yes. Well, I suppose it would be all right if I gave you your room key now. I haven't quite made the bed up yet but…." Link cut her off by grabbing the key. "I don't goro give a goro." He responded and proceded to head up the stairs.

Silence filled the lobby. "What a vile man" Said Gorman, who had been silently sitting on the lobby sofa during the entire conversation.

As Link made his way up the staircase towards the Knife Chamber, he removed his Goron masked and once again reverted to his twelve-year-old Hylian body. Link threw open the door to the chamber and collapsed upon the green striped bed and groaned to himself.

Tatl was sick of this attitude, and though she would not admit it, she was a little worried about Link too.

"Link." She began, in the calmest voice she could muster. "I know it's hard. We've both been through a lot in such a short time. But it's not as if we aren't making progress. You still have all the masks you've collected so far, and more importantly, you have the remains of that jungle demon and that evil machine."

Link rolled his eyes and said. "I'm still surprised you've actually gone along with all of this." This angered Tatl. "Well it's not as if I've had much of a choice! If we don't stick together, I'd be trapped here!" Link pondered this comment for a moment.

"Not necessarily, if you remember, on our first run through the Woodfall temple, it was already the third day and we were both worried we'd run out of time before we reached the source of the swamp's evil." Tatl gasped at first when she realized what Link was saying.

"That's right!" she began. "You fell through that hole in the floor and I was still at the top of the temple!" she deduced. "Right! However, when I played the song of time, the two of us were still brought together at the Clock Tower when the first day began again." Link concluded.

Tatl thought this over for a while. "So, you're saying that there is some sort of magical connection between us and our place in the time stream?" Link shrugged. "I would assume so. It would appear that even if we're apart, whenever I use the power of the Ocarina to return to the first day, we'll be brought together again." Link explained.

Tatl was growing impatient again. "Get to the point Link, where are you going with all of this?" Link kicked his boots off and pulled the bed sheets over his body. "I'm not sure, all I know for sure is that I need a break!" Tatl was outraged. "What?! You told me, specifically I might add, that any time your lips touch that Ocarina, the magic within it causes your hunger and rest needs to be instantly satisfied!"

Link didn't respond at first. "Well, I'm tired in a different sort of way. I'm weary of this bizarre process of the repeating days." Tatl was completely ready to fling herself against Link's head to bring him back to his senses, but after considering what he said, she concluded that he was right. She needed a break as well.

Neither one of them spoke for a very long time. At last, Tatl finally had a comment. "Look, obviously we have all the time in the world. Why don't we check out the Western Ocean and get our bearings and then maybe we could take a day off."

Link groaned. "There's that damn gate separating the beach from the country. I could jump it if the Skull Kid hadn't of stolen my horse." Tatl wanted to hear no more of this slothful Link.

"Well then we'll visit Romani Ranch and rent a horse if we have to!" Tatl screamed. Link rolled his eyes again and asked one word in a very sarcastic tone. "Boulder?" Tatl groaned very loudly.

Before Tatl could begin her next rant, Link decided he'd compromise. "Although…I do still have the Powder Keg license I got up at Snowhead. Maybe we could blast the boulder." Tatl was almost overjoyed "About damn time I hear something positive from you this morning!" she yelled.

It was decided. "All right." Link began. "I'll get some rupees, go Goron, buy the powder keg, then we can see if we can get a horse and go check out the Ocean." Tatl heaved a sigh of relief. "Finally!"

"Just don't forget our deal. We get a few days vacation after this." Link demanded. Tatl laughed. "Say, traveling partner, this aint no swamp cruise for me either!" she joked. Link laughed along with her.

What could he say? Link and Tatl did not exactly see eye to eye, and they fought on many occasions, but they really did need each other, and they really did care for each other. Termina was a strange world for Link, but duty and missions were not a new experience for The Hero of Time.

Link would free the Giants and he would bring justice to the Skull Kid, but above all else, he'd get that mask back and find his way home.

"To Romani Ranch." Link stated. As they walked the dirty path of Milk Road, Link had absolutely no thought in his mind that this trip would be any better than the last time he visited a ranch.

Oh how wrong he was.


	3. Another world, another girl

**A/N: Hey guys! Again, thanks for sticking with me. I'm really enjoying writing this series; I just don't have as much time on my hands as I would like to kick them all out at once. So, here we are at chapter 3, and things are about to get a little interesting for our hero of time. But don't think it's over here; this is only the start of a very interesting and slightly new take on a Zelda Adventure.**

_**Again, thank you so much for the reviews. I really appreciate it. If you enjoy this story, please comment on it! I'm doing some work at my college all this week, but I'll do my best to write in between work, friends, sleeping, and DragonForce, so stay tuned everybody! ~Phantom**_

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Seven Million years ago, the Dark God Vaati captured the God Ston and his goddess wife Somaria, so Ston's brother Goyen created the Four Giants and sent them off in the four cardinal directions of the cosmos. After vast expedition, it came that the Four Giants met each other again, they had walked far enough to the point that they had all converged on one location. It was here that they created the world of Termina.

One Million years later, Ston's daughter Din would descend upon a planet that was cosmically parallel to it's location.

And on that planet would be born the land of Hyrule.

Hyrule and Termina were parallel in every conceivable measure. Link recognized many faces in this world. It was as if every person was a mirrored twin of certain individuals in Hyrule. There were faces that Link did not recognize, but that is not to say that there did not exist a person in Hyrule who shared that image. Link could not rightfully say he knew every person who had ever lived in Hyrule. The worlds were connected, as were the people.

So of course the thought did occur to him at times.

"Did she have a twin too?"

Was it possible? At that same point, there were several individuals from Hyrule that Link had failed to meet in this world. Twins of the Kokiri were completely nonexistent, and it would appear that the Royal Family was absent as well.

It was a foolish, immature thought to consider. That she might exist in some other form in this world. That he might have another chance. But what sort of thought was that? Even if her twin did exist, it wouldn't be Malon, it would be a different girl with a completely different personality.

Hope was almost restored when he ran across a twin of Talon in this world by the name of Barten. But Mr. Barten was a hard working man that ran his own establishment. And it was one hell of an establishment too, The Milk Bar raked in more revenue during the Carnival of Time than some Clock Town businesses could generate in a single year.

He was an economic visionary, he was somber entrepreneur, he was a genius of the business world.

Talon liked to cause distractions for Ingo so he could sneak in an extra nap.

The two men could not have been more different.

It wasn't as though he had dedicated much time to this thought. The first priority was to get home. He had set his mind to the task at hand. Clearing the temples, saving the Giants, and reclaiming the mask. That would be his escape back to Hyrule. It was imperative that he break the cycle. Not just for himself, but for the people of Termina as well.

Those were the main thoughts on Link's mind. He had little time to consider anything else. But five weeks is a long time. On those dark nights trudging through the snow, or those blazing days hiding in the alcoves of the Deku Capital Palace, Link would find his thoughts slipping back home.

His thoughts would turn to Malon. Malon as she was two years ago, the sweet innocent child that Link longed for. How could she have aged so much more in two years than Link had aged in seven? Oh for another chance. But it was a moot thought, he would never have another chance.

As he walked along the dirty path to Milk Road, the smell of hay and fertilizer caught his nose. Suddenly he was filled with nostalgia of his days at Lon Lon Ranch. It was then that she appeared again in his mind.

"Enough, enough!" he screamed inside his mind. He felt humiliated. How could he let himself be so controlled by such a childish thought? He was once a seventeen-year-old man with a duty to a country, which fell on his shoulders. He would never revert back to that of a basic twelve-year-old boy.

With that he assumed Goron form; he produced the powder keg he had bought in bomb shop. After lighting the fuse and striking fear into the Clock Town commissioned construction worker, at long last, the boulder was obliterated.

Once he was convinced he was far enough away from the construction worker, Link removed his mask and reverted to his Hylia state. As he walked up the grassy hill, the ranch scent became over powering. It was almost identical to that of Lon Lon Ranch. This familiar smell that had once been such a nuisance to Link was now a perfume of beautiful memories of carefree days.

It was in that short amount of time that Link felt as though there might be hope for his deep hidden desires.

And then that hope was suddenly crushed.

"Oh my, did you come from town." A voice asked him.

Link looked up at the woman in front of him. She was a few years older than Link, perhaps just a few years under twenty. Her brown hair was shorter than it had been her youth. Her hands were stained, as was the apron she wore across her skirt. He could see years upon years of hard work and pain locked within her eyes.

It was just the same as she was in Hyrule's dark future.

"Yes.." Link finally managed to utter.

The girl gave him a strange look. "Oh you did? Then that means…. Milk Road is open to traffic again!", a look of happiness swept over her face. "Oh what a relief, I can finally deliver milk into town again! My name is Cremia; I'm the proprietor and landowner of this ranch." Link was silent as she spoke.

"Oh my, but I'm sure a city boy like yourself knows everything about our ranch, considering how popular our milk is in town." She proceded to overwhelm Link with rehearsed speech after speech, practicing her "sales pitch".

To some, Cremia may have a tendency to come off being slightly annoying, what with her incessant drone and her workaholic outlook, but to Link, it was much more than this. It was pure horror.

This was it? This was Malon's counterpart? She was beautiful of course, but she was several years older than Link. As if that were not enough, Link saw so much more beneath her matured exterior. Deep down was everything he feared Malon turning into. Someone so devoted to their work that they could never value anything else out of life, someone whose universe revolved around the ranch itself.

His sad wish was dead. At first it hurt, terribly. The pain itself stung emotionally, and Link wanted to throw himself off of Death Mountain when he began to consider how foolish and immature his thought was. "I should be damned glad this is her twin's form!" he screamed within his mind. "Now I can let those idiotic feelings die!"

"Look!" Tatl shouted in Link's ear, jogging him back to the present. Tatl began flying madly across the field towards the ranch house. Link had to struggle to keep up with her.

Along the grassy path, Link did not notice another individual, he ran straight across her path, but he had completely missed her.

But she noticed him.

"Isn't that your horse?" Tatl asked.

Beyond the iron gate, there she stood, in all her glory. Her youthful glory. Her mane had a lighter sheen than it would in her adulthood and her leg muscles were underdeveloped, but that did not matter to Link, it was his Epona, his beautiful horse, his one and only tie back to his home.

"She's very pretty isn't she?" a voice spoke behind Link's back. "We found her yesterday."

Link turned around and beheld the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Her long brown hair seemed to stretch on to eternity. Her bright eyes were innocent and pure. Her smile was that of a thousand golden summer days. She was young, she was immature, and she was the embodiment of bliss.

"What's your name?" the beautiful girl asked.

"I…uh" Link muttered.

The girl laughed. "What you can't remember your own name?" she asked laughing.

Link stiffened. He had lost his pose. What was he thinking?

"My name is…. Link." he managed to produce.

"Link. That's a nice name. But how about grasshopper? Since you're wearing green and you patter about like a grasshopper!" The girl seemed to collapse with laughter.

And so did Link.

He had found her. How was it possible? She did exist. He did have another chance. But this was so much more than he could ever ask for. It was as if he had the old Malon from his childhood back. She was such a sweet, cute little girl. And they were equals.

Link had only one question lingering on his mind, and almost as if Nayru herself had intended for it to happen, it was answered.

"Romani is happy to make a new friend."

The girl then lunged forward and tackle hugged her new friend as they fell backward and rolled together in the grass.

And Link lost himself as he fell among the brightly green blades of grass; losing himself to the best fall he had ever befallen.


	4. A hero of her own

**A/N: Hello again everybody. Wow, I know it's been a while. Yeah, big gap since the last chapter. Once again, very sorry I've been a little busy lately, but I'm getting back into writing again and I must say that I'm having a great time writing this fanfic.**

**This time round, Link gets to know Romani a little better. He starts comparing differences between Malon and herself, and he learns a dark secret about Romani Ranch that might just be the ticket to catching her heart.**

**As always I appreciate the reviews I've gotten for this story, and would certainly appreciate more if you enjoy the story. And finally, once again, sorry for the delay, in the future I will work to have chapters out in shorter time, a week is just too long to wait. Hope you enjoy the chapter. ~Phantom**

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"What do you mean you need some time alone?!" the outraged fairy shrieked in her high pitched ringing voice. "I'm about as ready to separate as you are, but if we don't stick together, there's no way we're getting out of this Dodongo shit we've gotten ourselves into. You've proven your ignorance time and again, without me, there's no way you're getting through the temples!" Tatl implored.

"I don't mean to say that I don't want your company anymore." Link began, but Tatl cut him off. "Really? Because that seems to be the general message I was getting from "Tatl, do you think we could spend one of the three days away from each other?"" Tatl argued.

Link sighed. How could he explain this to Tatl? A fairy couldn't understand this sort of a problem…. could they? Well even if they could, this particular fairy certainly would not provide to be an empathetic supporter.

"Look…." Link began "How about you go and explore the Great Bay, see what information you can dig up, and I'll hold down the fort here on the ranch for the three day period?" Tatl knew something was amiss. "And just whatever happened to taking a few days off?" Tatl questioned.

Link had to think fast. That was his original claim. There was no way he could explain to Tatl that Romani had completely transformed his feelings towards life and the world itself.

"I just feel… like I really need to learn the layout of this ranch and its place in the timeline. It just feels…. significant." Tatl was silent. "I'll make you a new deal, if you give me these three days to monitor the ranch, I promise we will head straight to the Great Bay temple in the next span of days."

Tatl groaned impatiently. "That's not the point, Link," she said sternly "why does this ranch inspection require you to be alone?" Tatl pushed. Link was running out of ideas. He had to risk it, his heart was in control, and his head was dead.

"This is more of a social mission…and quite honestly Tatl, I'm afraid you might cause a few problems." Link gritted his teeth after uttering the last syllable, preparing for hell to be brought down upon him. Tatl said nothing at first but merely stared at Link with what he assumed was a blank face.

"If I'm becoming that much of a problem for you, maybe we DO need sometime apart." Link was in pure ecstasy within his mind. "I'll give you your three days to do whatever it is that I can't be a part of. We'll meet up again at the Clock Tower on the first day. I'll be scouting the Ocean, but don't bother looking for me when you need me, this is MY vacation too." She stated in an angry tone, before storming off.

"Tatl wait!" Link yelled after her. "That could have gone over better," he thought to himself. Link felt a little guilty. He had no intention to hurt Tatl's feelings, he just needed to be alone for this, and he knew there was no way she would ever understand. But then he thought back to the first time they met, when he was transformed into a Deku Scrub. She had since apologized for those transgressions, but it wasn't to say that her soul was clear by a long shot.

After considering this Link did not feel as bad. Maybe he could find some way to make it up to her after the next span of days began. As Tatl flew off she was quite angry but not completely ignorant to Link's feelings. "I wonder," she thought to herself. "Could it be…?" she would have three days before her to think it over.

Link's first goal had been completed, but his true mission was just beginning. He had three days before him to acquaint himself with Romani and become friends with her. This was his chance. Somehow, this whole chaotic twist of fate turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The Goddesses had shown Link great mercy and had somehow bestowed upon him another chance at love.

No, this girl was not Malon…. she was better than Malon, in every way conceivable. She was everything he missed seeing in Malon. Such sweet innocence. He would do things differently this time. This time he would not let his emotions get the better of him. This time, he would make it so that the feeling was mutual. He would win her heart. And this time, time was on his side.

Link looked around the ranch before him. It appeared that Romani lead a very carefree life. Cremia was out in the fields attending to the cows, but Romani appeared to be playing with a bow. And she was quite proficient in her projectile skills, just another factor adding to his new forming infatuation with her, but now it was time to learn more about her than what he could only perceive.

"Wow, you're pretty good with a bow Romani" Link said kindly. Romani replied "Ha ha, why thank you grasshopper." Link couldn't help but laugh back. There was something about the way she said grasshopper that was so cute…. and familiar.

"But I think I might be a tad bit better." He replied. Link then summoned the magical energy within him that he had gained in Snowhead and lit his arrow ablaze. He then shot at one of the many ghost-shaped balloons that Romani was practicing with. The arrow hit the balloon causing it to instantly burst into a brilliant bright flame.

Romani stared with her mouth open as Link confidently slid his bow back on his back. She then spun around and stared at Link with the biggest smile (with the exception of some Gorons) that he had ever witnessed. "Grasshopper…. that was so cool!" Romani squealed

Link smiled back. This was going even better than he had originally imagined. Link was expecting her to question his ability to spontaneously shoot fire from an arrow, but was met with quite a different remark. "Romani has an idea." She began. "You said that the horse belongs to you right? Well, if you're such a hotshot marksman and horse rider, why don't we put it to the test?" Link raised his eyebrow "A test?" he asked.

Before Link knew it, he was galloping across the fields of Romani ranch, skillfully shooting balloon after balloon. Steering Epona through tight corners, jumping across fences, Link threw in the whole package. He wanted to make himself look as heroic as he could possibly pull off.

"Amazing Grasshopper!" Romani shrieked after he shot the last balloon. "You did it in under a minute! Romani has never met anyone as skillful as you!" This was going even better than Link had imagined. "I'm just good with a bow." Link said, trying his damndest to sound modest.

Romani stared deep into Link's eyes. Link stared back. They were two crystal blue pools, calm and loving. They were the only things he ever cared to see again…. and perhaps other regions of her body.

Romani smiled and walked up closer to Link. Link felt his body stiffen "Was it this easy?" he questioned in his mind. Romani whispered something in his ear. "Grasshopper, do you like Romani?" she asked. Link's heartbeat fast, his brain was working even faster as he thought to himself "Great Deku Tree! It is that easy!" He hesitated to answer.

"Of course I do. I mean, I really like you Romani." He responded. Romani nodded her little head. "Then, would you say that you are Romani's friend? That you trust Romani?" There was something about the way she said this that almost brought tears to Link's eyes. It sounded so sweet and so pure, almost as though she had been hurt before by someone that she could not completely trust.

"Yes I do Romani!" he responded without considering the fact that he had met her a matter of hours ago. In his mind, she was just a sweeter Malon, he concluded that he knew her intentions without question. "I trust you completely."

Romani smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "I really hope you do." She responded, her break of third person self reference was slightly startling at first. "Because Romani has no one else to trust. Come with me." She replied. She then grabbed Link's hand.

Her hand was smaller than his, but just slightly. Her fingers seemed to fit perfectly through his; the warmth of her hand seemed to spread throughout his body, until his very fabric of being was warm. Her hand was soft too, very unlike that of Malon's that had become rough and raw. The happiness that issued forth from his contact with Romani's hand was unexplainable. He was both romantically (and sexually) excited, but also at peace with himself and the world.

Romani lead him around behind the ranch house, outside of Cremia's sight. Almost as if Link expected what could come next, he threw his back against the ranch wall and prepared to be advanced upon. That did not happen.

"Romani has to tell somebody. Cremia won't listen and Romani can't understand why. Romani knows they've been coming here for years now, it's not like they just started. Cremia has seen them too, Romani knows she has!" Link was confused on several levels.

"Romani slow down! I don't understand what you're talking about. Link pleaded. Romani heaved a heavy sigh and threw her head in her hands as she shook her head. "Romani, please…" Link said. He slowly put his arms around her body again. She smelled differently than Malon did too. Malon's scent reflected the animals she worked with, Romani smelled…. like a girl.

Slowly, Romani lowered her defense and put her arms around Link as well. For the shortest amount of the time they just stood their holding each other, until Romani finally released herself.

"I'm sorry Grasshopper. I'm just so worried." So this was who Romani was. There was some sort of event going on in her life that was currently causing her much turmoil. Whatever it was, Link wanted to support her.

"Romani" Link began "I promise you, no matter what's going on, I'll do anything I can to help you." Romani stared back at Link, holding back the tears forming in her eyes. She took a deep breath and summoned a great deal of courage.

"Romani has never told many other people about this, always been so afraid they'd say Romani is crazy." Despite Link's budding infatuation for her, this statement did not exactly surprise him. "They're coming tonight Grasshopper." "Who is coming? Link asked.

"It's been like this every year, it's usually right before the carnival begins in town. Every year there comes a night when the sky gets bright, almost like the sun came early, but it's not the sun, it's some sort of evil ball of light." Link was listening intently, but was almost disturbed by the images Romani described.

"The ball of light almost touches the ground. That's the scariest part! Romani is always afraid the ranch will be set on fire! When it touches the ground, flames dance around the grass, and then they appear. They look like ghosts, Romani can't describe them, but they are so terrifying, almost like that of the dead cows. Whatever they are, it's always the cows of our ranch they target. They always go to the barn and steal some of our animals." Link was nearly horrified by these words.

"They usually only take one or two cows, but…it's been such a hard year for us. So many bad things have happened, and Cremia hasn't even been able to deliver Milk into town. I'm so scared Grasshopper. The ghost scare Romani, they're like a nightmare, but Cremia doesn't believe me, she won't send for help. If we lose any more cows, it may mean the end of our ranch and the end of our way of life."

With that Romani could say no more. She grabbed Link and buried her face in his chest crying. Link held Romani and sat down with his back against the house. He silently comforted her and stroked her hair. He let her cry. He said nothing.

When Romani was calm once again, the two were silent for a while. "What time?" Link asked. Romani did not have to question what he was asking. "2:30AM." She responded. "It's always the same time, ever since I saw them for the first time when I was six." Link nodded. "I'll be here." He stated. Romani began crying again.

"You have to grasshopper, you just have to. You're the best shooter in the world. I've been practicing with my father's old bow, but I can't shoot like you, you're the only person who can help Romani." Link could hear the desperation in her words.

Link stood up. "Romani. I need you to trust me. I will come back tonight." Before Romani could say another word, Link returned to the front of the ranch house and mounted his familiar horse. They then took a stroll across the beautiful rolling hills of Romani Ranch.

Link needed time to put this together in his mind.


	5. Brothers Of The Badlands

**_A/N: Right, I said I wasn't going to wait so long inbetween chapters. Ah you must forgive me. Writer's block is a bitch. But, here we are with chatper 5. A few people mentioned some spelling/grammar errors in the last chapter. After going back and reviewing it was so obvious. Anyway, I had been going at it with a faulty version of Microsoft Word, but now I have updated and have a fully functional spell check (not sure how much that's going to help me, lol). I had a hell of a time trying to write this chapter. The Gorman Brothers serve an important role in later chapters so I needed to introduce them, but damn if it's awful writing about them. If you enjoy this chapter, please review, positive reviews inspire me to write faster. Enjoy._**

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Epona slowly trotted across the far side of Romani Ranch. It was mid day and Cremia would surely be taking a break soon for lunch. The sunlight was bright and the wind was warm. Link loved the first day. It was as close to what he assumed Termina was in peaceful times. The second day always brought with it the dark storm, and the third day was nothing short of catastrophic, but the first day was always calm and bright.

"They'll be coming Grasshopper, they always do"

What could she possibly mean by that? Link had seen many horrifying images in Hyrule's original future, from the blood thirsty poe ghosts, to the phantom shadow being "Bongo Bongo" himself, but the creatures that Romani had described were completely beyond that of Link's grasp.

Could she be making it up entirely? Not likely, her tears were genuine. Link held her in his arms; he felt legitimate fear within her. It was palpable within her quivers. How could she be lying when her fear was so real? For that matter, what reason would she have to lie? To manipulate Link? But for what?

It was not as though Link was concerned if these ghosts did in fact exist or not, Goddess knows he faced more dangerous beings. Link was more concerned with Romani's mind and her true intentions. Link had a golden opportunity before him. Never had he felt stronger attraction to another being than he felt for Romani. He made it his new task to decipher her mind. Even if it drove him mad, he vowed to understand Romani on the deepest level possible.

"Oh, hello Link, would you like to stay for lunch?" Lost in his thoughts he was unaware that Epona had trotted up to Cremia, she was carrying a basket full of vegetables and Epona proceeded to eat a carrot that was jutting out from the produce. Cremia laughed and pet Epona's head.

"Sorry Cremia." Link said. "I guess I needed to pay better attention to my horse." Cremia smiled "That's all right she said. She's such a pretty horse." Cremia stroked her hair "I wanted to thank you for taking care of her after I lost her." Link responded. Cremia nodded her head "We were very happy to watch over her, I know how hard it can be for stray animals."

There was a silence for a short period of time with the exception of Epona crunching her carrot.

"Cremia, would you mind if I asked you a question about your sister?" Link asked. Cremia's expression instantly changed to that of concern. "Oh no, what did she say to you? I do hope it was nothing offensive. Oh I keep telling her she's going to alienate herself if she keeps thinking out loud the way she does. You must forgive her Link, she's a very creative child but just far too open."

Link kept waiting to get a comment in but Cremia proceeded to carry on in a bit of paranoid explanation. "Cremia!" Link finally shouted at last to gain her attention. "Romani didn't offend me at all." Link stated. "Oh." Cremia responded, slightly embarrassed by her meaningless rant. "Well what was it you wanted to ask?"

Link was not quite sure what to say at this point. Yes, Romani had said something quite disturbing. Anyone who had not seen what Link had in his journeys would question Romani's sanity. "I just wanted to say" Link began "that she's very talented in archery and I wanted to know why she's so dedicated to practicing."

Cremia did not respond at first, as though she had to think of what to say before responding. "Oh well, it's just really a hobby she has. Our father used to use that bow to ward off wolves and he taught Romani how to shoot empty bottles when she was younger, so she just sort of picked up the talent after a while. Well I've enjoyed talking to you Link, but I really must prepare lunch for myself and Romani, but please visit us again sometime." She stated quickly before hurrying off to the house.

"She completely forgot she had offered me lunch." Link said aloud, after Cremia had reached the house. The less than informative explanation that Cremia had presented Link with actually proved to be very enlightening.

"She's making excuses for Romani" Link thought "She must have told her sister about it, but she doesn't believe her at all."Link realized that if he were ever to get to the bottom of this ghostly business, he would have to question an outside party. Link sprinted down the hills on Epona and exited the ranch.

Milk Road was a long dirt road that stretched from the outskirts of Clock Town all the way through the southern countryside. Many private farmers had fields of which they worked along this road. There were several other ranches as well. It was obvious that Romani Ranch was the most profitable ranch, considering their vintage milk had intoxicating qualities, but a larger neighboring ranch caught Link's eye.

He had heard about this ranch in town. Apparently they did a good deal of milk importing too. It was known as Gorman Ranch and was run by two brothers. Two very hostile brothers with dark eyes. It was obvious that Romani Ranch was their main competition, having their two ranches positioned so close together, so Link concluded that they probably knew a good deal of sinister information surrounding the ranch.

Link strode up to the ranch on Epona. The Gorman brothers were tending to the fields. The younger brother dressed in orange overalls while the older brother wore a more sleek color of blue. It was obvious that he was the businessman and manager of the ranch. As Link walked through the gateway to the ranch, the Gorman brothers laid eyes on him for a brief five seconds before bursting out laughing.

"Just great." Link thought in his mind. The ability to travel through time did have the advantage of making situations like this easier to stomach. When in his previous reality, situations like this were forever set in stone, Link had the ability to go back in time and correct these embarrassing put downs. Perhaps he would do just that, but for the time being he would have to endure it.

"Oooh eee boy, don't you dare tell me that pathetic mule of yours is a horse!" The younger brother screamed in laughter. Link was disgusted but managed to mutter in a disgruntled tone "Yes she is." The brothers burst into laughter again. The older brother walked over to Link and began inspecting him, as if Link were some bizarre hilarious comedy creature that had just materialized out of thin air.

"And I reckon you'd like us to train her?" The older brother asked. "No." Link responded dryly. The older brother's look changed. The comedy was gone, the joke was over, and their time was being wasted at this point. "Boy! Why the hell would you come to a horse training ranch with a fucking mule if you didn't plan on paying us to train it?" The younger brother shouted. Link was a bit shocked at his apparent lack of discretion for a twelve year old boy.

The older brother ran up to Link, businessman that he was, decided to go in a different direction. He grabbed a bottle of Gorman Brand Milk from the nearby stall and began his preaching.

"Now listen here son, this here is Termina country milk in its purest form. I'm sure you've heard how popular that vintage milk is at Romani Ranch, well here at Gorman Ranch, we don't believe in those strange eastern farming rituals, no sir, we breed our own cows and bottle our own home-style milk. None of that foreign mess you'll find over yonder. You can't call yourself a true Terminian until you've woken up to a fresh bottle of Gorman Ranch Milk, now I'll sell you your first bottle at a discount of twenty-five rupees, are you interested son?"

Link kept a stern face throughout this sales rant, although deep down he was quite surprised just how adamant this man was on trying to sell Link on his product. You had to give them that, The Gorman Brother's were bastards through and through but they knew how to run a business. But now the acting was over, it was time for Link to get down to business.

"Listen, I'm going to be honest with you men. I'm not here for horse training and I'm not here for Milk. I'm here because I know how you feel about Romani Ranch. They've got to be your biggest competition, especially considering how close your ranches are to each other. I know you've got to have some dirt on them. I want in. I despise Romani Ranch and everything they represent. That's why I've come here. I know you have information that could damage their reputation." Link stated smugly.

The Gorman brothers had a curious stare in their eyes. They continued to switch between staring at Link and each other, as if trying to decipher what this strange occurrence was. The older brother walked over to his younger brother and began whispering something to him. The younger brother nodded, all the while staring directly at Link.

"All right boy." The younger brother began. "I don't know what beef you have with Romani Ranch but any enemy to them is a friend to us." Link smiled. "Glad you see it my way." "One condition, though." The older brother began. "And what would that be?" Link asked. "We can't just let this information out to everyone; we have to make sure you're a true ranger." Link stared at the evil man. "And just how do you plan to do that?"

The brother snapped his fingers and two highly trained horses responded immediately by running towards the ranch path gates. "You want the scoop; you'll have to beat the Gorman brothers in a race around our ranch."

Link was in a good bit of ecstasy in his mind. Looks like he was going to kill two cuccos with one stone. This would be his chance to rub their own insults in their greasy mustaches. "You're on." Link stated.

The older brother nodded and leaped over the gate, his brother then followed. "Ha ha, this is too good to be true, this boy is gonna make a complete and total Dodongo-ass of himself!" the younger brother said, trying his best to hold back his laughter. The older brother smiled and sighed.

"Nothing like seeing the face of an ignorantly bliss child as his perfect little world shatters. Oh and this boy has got it bad. Did you hear the way he was speaking to us? And we've got a reputation in town as being cold hard bastards, but no, this city boy was all big and bad, speaking to his like he was some kind of rebel." The brother stopped talking for a moment.

"We're gonna make that little bitch cry"

The two brothers looked even more sinister atop their horses, with their cold steel whips that their fully trained horses were raised on. Link mounted Epona and positioned himself between the two brothers. They were in for quite a shock.

"On my mark!" The younger brother hollered. "3. 2. Haw!" The brothers slammed their whips upon their horses and gained an early start.

Reacting quickly, Link kicked Epona into gear. The brothers were indeed skilled riders, magnificently guiding their horses through the rugged terrain of their obstacle course. Their horses were highly trained as well, and had the power of speed on their side. But Link was determined to win. And in the last seconds of this terrible joke of a race, Link managed to just slip through the brother's position and galloped into the lead, crossing the finish line with the brothers still five trots behind him.

The brothers pulled their horses to a stop. Link sat on Epona with the afternoon sun behind him, causing his body to glow in the sunlight. He smiled contently. "Well now. Looks like I've won." Link said casually. The brothers just stared from atop their horses with their mouths hanging open.

At long last the younger brother jumped off his horse and ran over to Link. "All right boy, just who the hell are you?" Link was very satisfied, he was in control now. "I'll tell you this much. I'm not from this world, I've come from a different plain of being and I'm offering you a service for free. I'm out to get Romani Ranch, all I need is a little dirty laundry. What do you say boys?"

The brothers stared at one another. The older brother nodded.

"Fine then. I'm not sure what you're trying to pull, but I suppose a deal is a deal. We've been planning a milk raid for quite a while now, and it's going down tomorrow night. Every year right before the Carnival of Time, the damndest experience occurs. Some kinda ghosts appear at Romani Ranch, and tonight is that very night. Don't ask me where they came from or what they are, but they always pick a pair of cows from the ranch and pull them into the sky."

So it was true. These spirits did exist. "You expect me to believe that?" Link asked. "You expect us to believe you're from another world." The older brother countered. "Fair enough." Link responded. "So you've seen these ghosts yourself?" The brothers stared at one another. "We've been raiding the ranch for a few years now, it wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last. But yes, we've come face to face with those spooks. They're not violent to us, for some reason, all they care about are those damned Romani bred cows."

The younger brother had an evil smirk on his face. "But this year it's different. The young girl has been trying to run the ranch by herself for the last year now. Old man Zack is out of the picture now and there is no way she'll be able to keep the business going after a ghost attack and a raid. We'll be sure to put them out of commission!"

Link had all the information he needed. His business was done here. "I see. Thanks boys, I'll be sure to join you on your raid tomorrow night. For the time being, I think I'm going to check out these ghost sightings for myself." With that Link proceeded to trot out of the ranch.

"Hey kid" the older brother shouted out. Link turned around to find that the man had thrown something at Link. It was a dark hood that could be worn as a disguise. The two men dawned their own and Link saw its spine-chilling effect of turning the eyes green. "Wear it with us tomorrow night. Can't risk your reputation, eh?" Link nodded and trotted off.

"You sure that's gonna be ok? I mean letting someone know?" the younger brother asked. "He's just a boy anyway, I can't see it doing much harm, and no one ever really listens to what children have to say." The younger brother nodded. "Still…if he really is the reincarnation of the Garo….perhaps it is some sort of sign."


	6. The Longest Night

**_A/N: Took a long time to write but I'm working much faster now. I must say, the hardest part is trying to distinguish when Romani should refer to herself in the first or third person, as she switches from time to time in the game, based on what she is discussing. Hope you enjoy, as always, I love the positive comments._**

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The evening of the first day really was spectacular. The grey clouds were rolling in from the west that would issue the all too familiar rain on the following day, but for the time being, the dark orange light issued from the setting sun casted a beautiful reflection upon the clouds causing the sky to look like that of the Golden Land.

Link and Romani ran happily through the fields of Romani Ranch, practicing their archery skills with the numerous ghost balloons scattered throughout the ranch. They ran together laughing, talking, talking about cows, talking about arrows, talking about the weather, talking about anything….but the inevitable.

"You're such a great shooter Grasshopper!"

This comment caught Link off guard. Romani's innocence never ceased to issue forth an unending essence of cuteness, but this one comment almost made Link react in the wrong way. He had to contain himself. "Ah…thank you Romani, you're very nice yourself." She smiled and shook her head.

"Oh no, not at all as good as you are." She replied. Link merely looked at her and smiled. It made him so content to know how much Romani idolized him. "Do you think you could teach Romani?" she asked with child like puppy dog eyes. To Link, they were more beautiful than that of the Triforce itself. "Well of course I can." He replied.

Romani held her bow up preparing to fire at a nearby balloon. Link walked up behind her and held her arms to help teach his accurate method of firing. He caught her scent again. Oh how beautiful it was. It was that of fresh fruit, perhaps strawberries. Her hair was directly in her face. He caught himself inhaling it, finding its very fibers within his nostrils. He was drunk on Romani; he loved every aspect of her being.

He held her arms as he positioned her to fire. They were smaller than his were, of course, but they were equals. He could feel the heat issuing off of her body. Link could feel himself moving ever so closer to Romani.

"Romani is ready, Grasshopper!" she said politely. Link instantly woke up and remembered why he was in this position in the first place. He held Romani's arm back and released it. The arrow flew towards the balloon and made a direct hit. "Dead on." Link said triumphantly. Romani was ecstatic and began jumping up and down. Link couldn't help but laugh.

"You're amazing Grasshopper."

For the what felt like the shortest period of time, Link and Romani stared deep into each other's eyes. No words, no movements, just two smiles staring into one another. This childhood blissful moment was quickly shattered by Cremia's shouts. "Romani, it's time to come in for dinner!" Romani spun around to see her sister standing on the porch.

"Can Grasshopper stay for dinner too?" Romani called back. Cremia sighed. "Yes, of course Link can stay for dinner." Romani was delighted "Yay!" she squealed. "Come along Grasshopper; let's see what Cremia has cooked us for supper."

Link was quite amazed with Romani's demeanor. For just hours ago she was sobbing in his arms, yet now she was the lighthearted child again. How could such a young girl manage to mask her fear and doubts so easily? Of course it was no surprise that she had been completely clear with Link concerning her feelings towards the oncoming events, it wasn't so often that such a skilled hero strode up to the ranch, it was destiny calling to her, but still he had to wonder how she managed to contain such powerful emotions, especially from her sister.

Link walked into the dining room and saw that Cremia was nearly completed with dinner preparations. The table was lined with a basket of long sticks of bread, a piping tea kettle, and respectable silver wear. "Come sit by Romani, Grasshopper!" Romani called over to Link. A chair had been placed beside Romani's chair along with a separate plate, fork, and knife.

Link was unfamiliar with Cremia's cooking, but the room smelled of a delectable aroma. It was that of tomatoes and spices blended together harmoniously. Cremia placed a bubbling red pot upon the table and began to ladle out this strange meal. It consisted of long strands of noodles covered in a red sauce along with pieces of meat. Link was instantly intrigued by this foreign delicacy and set upon eating. It was one of the most delicious dishes he had ever tasted.

"Cremia, your cooking is fantastic." Link said in between bites. Cremia couldn't help but giggle to herself. "Why thank you Link, I really appreciate that. It would be nice to hear it from SOMEONE ELSE once in a while." Cremia said eyeing Romani. Poor Romani heaved a deep sigh "Yes sister." She responded.

Link truly did find this dish to be incredible. He decided to try a piece of the spherically shaped meat, he found that Cremia had placed onions and vegetables within this meat; it was one of the most creative meals he had ever experienced. "Cremia, believe me when I say that this was one of the best meals I've ever had!" Link stated, still very much impressed.

Cremia was overjoyed "Oh Link, you are too kind. It's really nothing, just a food from the old country that my grandparents past down. My mother taught me how to cook it and it's one of the few complex meals that I can manage to fix without using up an entire month's worth of food." Cremia said, laughing modestly. Link shook his head in satisfaction. "I tell you, I could live off this meal." Cremia laughed and nodded happily.

After dinner was over (and Link had finished his thirds), Cremia set to clearing the table. "Well, I'm going to washes the dishes so they'll be ready for breakfast in the morning, Romani, you should be getting ready for bed, I'll be up in an hour." Romani wiped the stray sauce from her face and responded "Yes sister." Romani walked over to Cremia and embraced her. Cremia kissed Romani on her forehead and sent her upstairs. "Good night Cremia" Romani responded. "Good night Romani, I love you." With that, Romani proceeded to walk upstairs, but not before giving a very meaningful wink in Link's direction.

They both knew what was coming.

It warmed Link's heart to see such a loving relationship between sisters. As Cremia set to clearing the table, she noticed that Link was still sitting in the place they had prepared for him at the table. "Oh my Link, I didn't notice you were still here." Cremia said in a casual voice, before she began to piece things together in her mind. "Oh, please forgive me! I didn't even think to ask. If you are need of shelter for the night, you are more than welcome to sleep in our drawing room." Cremia stated. "That's very kind of you Cremia" Link began "but I do have business to attend to elsewhere tonight." Cremia stared at Link.

"You are quite young to be traveling around the country on your own, especially at night. You know these parts are plagued with bandits and raiders, I'd be devastated if something happened to you." Cremia was quite a paranoid woman, but it did seem as though she had good intentions and a kind heart. "Again, thank you for your kindness Cremia, but you don't need to worry, I can take care of myself." Link explained, gesturing towards his sword in his sheath.

"Well, if you say so. It was very nice to have you spend the day with us, Link." Cremia said, as she broke eye contact with Link and attended to the dishes, almost as if to say 'don't say I didn't warn you'. Link was satisfied enough with this, but he couldn't help but feel that his business here wasn't quite complete. It felt as though something else needed to be said, but he just couldn't place the words. Cremia and Romani were very close, but they had two completely different agendas.

"Cremia" Link began. She turned around to take the tea kettle from the table and reestablished eye contact, "Yes Link?" she asked. "Would it be all right if I returned to the ranch to visit again tomorrow?" Link asked. Cremia smiled "Of course it would be Link. I've never seen Romani take to anyone as fast as she has you. Really now, if you don't have anywhere else to turn to, we would be very happy to provide logging for you here at the ranch, even if it is for a short period of time." Link recorded this in his mind for future reference.

"You know, I might just have to take you up on that offer. Thank you for a very pleasant evening Cremia, and again, before I forget, thank you for taking care of my horse." Link replied. Cremia was very happy with Link's manner. "You are very welcome Link, Romani and I will look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning." With that, Link stood from the table and walked out the door. He mounted his horse and galloped towards the fields.

Waiting would be the hardest part.

The night was long and cold. Link was unaware what season the three day span existed in. The only real clue he had to go on was his experience in Snowhead, although he was almost assured that the winter was a curse placed upon the mountain. With this information in mind, Link concluded that it was early Spring, as the air still had a biting chill.

It seemed as though the silence of the night would stretch on to eternity. Link silently sat atop his faithful horse, with no one else around to keep him company but Epona herself. It was then that he almost wished that he had not dismissed Tatl, for her presence would allow conversation and a reprieve from the boring madness of his sentinel mission. Still, if his plan were to be a success, he could not chance Tatl's blunt mouth to ruin things.

Link felt as if he were about to doze off. Realizing that sleep was a luxury he could not chance, he drew his Ocarina from his inventory, and played a light tune upon it. The Goddess's magic embedded within the Ocarina satisfied his basic needs of hunger and rest so that the Hero may continue his journey, unaffected by these troubles.

Link had almost given up on any thought that this strange ghost raid had any conceivable truth behind it and was just about ready to retreat from the ranch when he noticed the door of the ranch house open. He kicked Epona awake and she galloped closer towards the house. He then realized that Romani had emerged from the house with her father's bow in hand and a quiver upon her back. She was heading for the barn.

Link approached from behind her. Romani spun around and let out a tiny scream. "Oh Grasshopper! You have come!" Link nodded. "Romani, I don't understand. No ghosts have appeared." Romani's facial expression did not change. "It's like I told you Grasshopper. They always appear at the same time. 2:30AM. Five minutes remain." Romani said factually. Link had a plethora of questions on his mind, but couldn't think of a single one to ask.

"Romani will guard the barn. Grasshopper, you scout from the fields with your horse." Link was still unsure if Romani's claims were true, but he wanted so dearly to believe Romani, he wanted her claims to be true, and not a falsehood of her mind. He wanted to be able to trust Romani.

So he decided to trust her.

"All right Romani, I have my bow ready, you can count on me, I'll protect the barn from the outside, you won't have to worry about any ghosts getting through." Romani grabbed Link in a tight hug. He felt the fear within her again. "I don't understand it Grasshopper. I've never understood who they are or where they come from. All Romani knows is that she is very lucky that you are here." Link hugged back.

"We'll take them down Romani. They're not getting any cows." At long last, Romani released her grip from Link and entered the barn to protect her beloved cows. One minute remained until the fated time. This was it. If these strange beings truly did exist, Link was about to witness them with his own eyes.

2:30AM.

At first, nothing seemed to happen, the world was still quiet and at peace. And then, quite suddenly, all around him, Link felt the cold air grow heavy and stale, as if the atmosphere itself had locked in place. It had begun. Instantly, a bright light shown forth from the night sky; it was a bright orange orb, it almost appeared to be that of a smaller sun. It danced around the fields, carrying with it evil flames. The flames were deposited in random locations around the field, and the orb returned to it's place, hovering above the ranch.

And then it happened.

The flames that were spread across the ranch began to materialize into that of bizarre blue beings that could only be described as ghosts. This process continued all across the ranch, until a total of fifteen of these creatures were stationed at strategic positions across the fields. This was it. What Link was seeing before him was in fact proof that Romani's claims were true. These ghosts did exist.

With that, it began.

The ghost loomed over the grass, and hovered toward the barn just ever so slightly. It was almost hypnotic at first, as their glowing eyes emitted a bright light that lit the field. Seeing them hover together, all chanting their same eerie hum was that of a stunning sight. Stunning, and horrifying.

Link snapped back to reality. What he was seeing before him were demons of the night. When his brain finally accepted the sight before him, he was met with a familiar grotesque sentiment, much like that of his first encounter with the disgusting insects of the Gohma larva that resided within the Deku Tree. It was that of pure disgust, the sight of all the ghosts swaying together in rhythm.

Link had all the proof he needed; he now had a mission before him. It was now time to destroy these evil demons. Link drew his bow and began firing multiple shots at the ghosts, one after another. Each one of his arrows made an accurate hit, and Link managed to strike four ghosts. When his arrow made contact with their beings, the ghost were merely frozen in a stunned stance for a half a second before completely disintegrating. For a brief second, Link thought these ghosts to be little more than the stagnate spirits he was so used to destroying in both Hyrule and Termina, that this would be an easy battle.

He would face a harsh realization when the four ghosts he had just obliterated rematerialized into the same full sized creatures. "Damn it!" Link said to himself. "They're infinite! I could shoot for days and they would just keep reappearing….but something Romani said….they only attack at night. She said we only had to fight them off until the light of dawn. If I can just keep them from reaching the barn, we might stand a chance."

It would be a long and tiring fight, but Link had no choice. He had to defend the barn. Link kicked Epona forward and engaged the ghost in what would become one of the longest nights of his life. He made several circles around the ranch, shooting out every ghost in his path. But with every ghost he shot it seemed as though two more appeared in their place.

As Link did his best to clear the western section of the field, he took his eyes off of the barn for an extended period of time. When his sight did return to the barn, he was alarmed to notice that several of the ghost had appeared from behind the barn and were closing in.

"Romani!" Link shouted out loud

The second after he screamed her name, he immideatly had to question the logic behind this. At no point during this entire quest had Link ever feared for someone else's life, simply due to the fact that if anyone was killed at any point during his journies, they would be alive again when he returned to the first day. But for a split second, he felt true genuine fear for Romani's life. Why did he care so much for her?

Link hard-pressed Epona forward in a desperate attempt to make her gallop faster, but his horse had grown weary from the night and was quickly losing energy. He couldn't rely on this young horse's tired body, Romani's life was in danger and her life rested in his hands.

Link leaped from atop Epona and rolled through the grass. Link grabbed the bunny hood mask from his gear and placed it upon his head. Instantly, his instincts were elevated to that of the wind itself. He sprinted across the field at high speed, leaving a trail of uprooted grass in his wake. The wind was rushing hard against Link's face at this high speed, causing tears to rush from his eyes.

As he was closing in on the barn readied his bow for the conflict with the ghosts. In his rush towards their gathering point, he swore he could hear Romani screaming from inside the barn. That was the fuel he needed. In a heroic move, Link dashed in front of a total of six ghosts right as they had their ghostly appendages upon the bricks of the barn. In what was but a second in real time, Link fired multiple arrows at all of the ghosts, destroying each and every one, protecting the barn…..protecting Romani.

Link sighed a huge breath of relief. He had almost lost the mission. Link was exhausted but was prepared for another legion of spirits to appear before him.

No such phenomenon occurred.

All around him, Link heard a sizzling. He turned around and saw a most amazing sight before him, the beauty of the sunrise. Never before had he been so happy to see the dawn of the second day. This early in the morning, the rain clouds had not let covered the sun, and rays of light shown forth onto the ranch.

When the sunlight made contact with the ghosts bodies, they began to burn until, all at once, their bodies self combusted into spectacular flames and lights. The orb hovering above the ranch descended in a fleeting attempt to relive the fallen ghosts. There was no such luck for this spirit. Realizing that this yearly raid had failed, it ascended into the heavens and disappeared from sight.

Link made a full circular view of the ranch. All the ghosts were gone, the ranch was safe, and Romani was safe. Link heard the clicking of the barn door open, he rushed to the front of the barn to meet Romani. Her eyes were huge and her mouth was hanging open. She almost did not believe what she saw before her.

"We…won. We fought them off." All Link could do was smile and nod at Romani. "They didn't reach the barn Grasshopper….the cows are safe." Romani said in a stunned voice, still not comprehending that victory over the ghosts of this caliber was even possible.

"I promised you I'd protect the cows Romani" Link stated valiantly. A huge smile formed on her face. "Oh Grasshopper!" Romani screamed as she leaped forward to capture Link in a tight embrace. Link was almost too weary to support her weight at first, but he caught her, and he did not let Romani loose.

As he held her in his arms he realized something. He really did love Romani. Whether her existence in this repeating time stream was a being in which he could have a relationship with was philosophically debatable, but that did not matter to Link in the least bit.

He feared for Romani's life. He feared for her very emotions. He wanted so dearly to protect Romani and be one with Romani. But more than anything, he wanted Romani to return those said feelings.

"I can't believe it Grasshopper, you were amazing. I had absolutely no faith in protecting the barn, but you did it! You held them back! You are amazing." Link nodded. "I did it to protect you Romani. I would let nothing stand in my way of protecting you and your way of life." Tears streamed from Romani's eyes as she returned to her embrace with Link.

For a short time, the two children just stood there holding one another, Link slowly caressing Romani and stroking his hands across her hair and her back. Romani wiped the tears from her face. "It's almost time for my sister to get up; I have to get back to bed." Link did not want to spend another second without Romani, but he understood the situation.

"Romani must show her appreciation for you." She said, returning to her cute happy-go-lucky voice.

Link was on top of the world. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep or just his pre emptive mind that put Link in the position that he was in.

He closed his eyes and stepped forward, preparing to make a wonderful contact with Romani.

Instead his hands made contact with a glass bottle.

"Wha…" was all Link could say at first. Romani smiled at him. "It's your reward Grasshopper." She said happily. "I…I don't understand." Link responded legitimately. Romani giggled to herself. "It's a bottle of our vintage milk. They only sell it to adults. It's very good. Romani was saving it for a special occasion to sneak a drink without Cremia finding out, but you deserve it since you protected our ranch." She explained.

"Well thank you….but I…" Link began, but Romani cut him off in her haste to return to bed without her sister's knowledge. "See you later….little hero." She said, laughing to herself as she skipped off happily to the ranch house.

Link just stared at her as she made her way through the blades of grass towards the house. After she disappeared from sight, he held the bottle up to his eyes and just stared at its contents. He dropped the bottle to his feet and then fell backwards onto the ground in exhaustion, causing several blades of grass to fly upwards before falling back down onto his worn out body.

"Damn." Link stated, defeated.


End file.
